‘I’m sorry we are where we are’: Kansas City Royals president Dayton Moore on lockout
Major League Baseball’s owners locked out the players after the most recent collective bargaining agreement expired, and they appear dug in on certain economic issues.
Meanwhile, the MLB Players Association remains steadfast that systemic changes are required both for the benefit of players and the game overall.
The business of baseball has gone off the rails to the point where spring training and regular-season games have now been canceled, and each day that passes carries the prospect of more cancellations.
Asked what he’d offer fans in way of an explanation for why things have reached this point, Kansas City Royals president of baseball operations Dayton Moore, who has spent more than 25 years working in Major League Baseball, instead offered an apology.
“My first thought is simply to say I’m sorry we are where we are,” Moore said during a video conference call with reporters on Wednesday morning.
On Tuesday, MLB Commissioner Rob Manfred announced the cancellation of the first two series of the regular season.
For the Royals, that means a three-game series on the road against the Cleveland Guardians followed by a series against the Chicago White Sox at Kauffman Stadium have been eliminated. The games will not be made up.
That came after the first week of spring training exhibition games in Arizona and Florida were also wiped out because of the lockout. Spring games will begin no earlier than March 12, according to MLB.
“Fans want to see baseball,” Moore said. “And they’re really not concerned about owners, players — they just want to see baseball and I respect that and I understand that. I’m wired the exact same way. …
“It’s important to hear their frustration and don’t make excuses. I don’t think placing blame is the right way for a thriving organization/industry to operate.”
Moore did not promote the positions of either side nor did he voice any animosity towards stances taken by owners or players in the labor negotiations.
The Royals’ top baseball official, Moore expressed regret for the adverse impact cancellations have had on communities such as Surprise, Arizona, where the Royals make their spring training home and host Cactus League games.
He characterized the loss of spring training games as “hurtful” to that area, and stressed the need for empathy and compassion for people who rely on baseball economically and who will feel the effects of lost games in various communities.
One day after both Manfred and MLBPA executive Tony Clark described baseball’s current predicament in melancholy terms and the public perception seemingly putting the sport in a precarious position with fans, Moore still sought to tout the value of the sport.
He urged baseball fans not to abandon the game nor to get “caught up in the business side.”
“It is so important for our communities, not only the major-league team but baseball at all levels,” Moore said. “I think every mom and dad, every grandparent, every aunt and uncle should understand the importance of what baseball teaches a young person about leadership and growth and what it prepares them for in the future.”
MLB’s owners have largely refrained from public comments during the lockout, instead allowing the commissioner to speak for them.
Moore spoke up in support of Royals chairman and CEO John Sherman, the lead member of the franchise’s ownership group. Moore said Sherman understands the place baseball holds in the daily lives of people in the region.
“He understands that this team has a special place in the history of this community and the future of this community and the uniting of people in this community,” Moore said. “It’s a much bigger purpose than just going out and playing baseball games.”
Impact on players
While most of the players who’ve been affected by this lockout have already spent significant time in the majors, many others have not spent extended periods in the big leagues. Some have not even made their major-league debuts.
Any player currently on their 40-man roster, which includes minor-league players who may have had brief stints in the majors or were added to that roster as is typical to protect them from the Rule 5 Draft, also had been locked out.
Those players have not been allowed to have contact with their clubs, club officials, coaches, nor members of training, sports science or behavioral science departments. They have been barred from working out at club facilities.
While that encompasses major-league veterans such as Salvador Perez, Whit Merrifield, Adalberto Mondesi, Mike Minor and Carlos Santana, it also extends to the young core the Royals hope to build on in the future such as starting pitchers Daniel Lynch, Carlos Hernandez, Brady Singer, Kris Bubic, Jackson Kowar and Jonathan Heasley as well as position players MJ Melendez, Sebastian Rivero, Kyle Isbel, Nick Pratto.
Under normal circumstances Many of those players would likely have been slated to begin the season in the minors where they’d play regularly and continue their development on a daily basis.
Instead they’ve also been cast out as a result of the lockout. Many of those players have also had the turbulent experience of the pandemic having eliminated the entire 2020 season in the minors.
While Moore said the organization takes pride in interaction with players and being involved in their growth on and off the field, he expressed confidence in the players ability to handle the situation.
“There are some insecurities there on our behalf because we haven’t had the opportunity [to interact with them], but the one thing I do know is baseball players adapt better than any athlete in the world in my opinion,” Moore said. “And they will adapt and they will turn this experience into something good. They will make the most out of it.”
This story was originally published March 2, 2022 at 1:01 PM.
